Functional typology of settlements in the Srem region, Serbia

The development of the functional settlement typology methodology is of academic and practical importance as it incorporates the social, economic, and demographic dimensions of regional development. Rural settlements are seen as a base for labor; traditional urban centers have become a base for commuters, while at the same time, new economic centers are emerging where capital investment is accumulating. This article presents the research conducted in the Srem region (located in the province of Vojvodina) to determine the functional typology of the settlement, which is of social, economic, and demographic importance for the region itself and for Serbia as a whole. This well-known immigration area in Serbia has been inhabited for centuries for its specific economic and political reasons. The very intensive economic activities of the last two decades have been influenced by development investments and contributed to the functional transformation of the settlements. The census data from 2022 make it possible to determine a functional typology of settlements in the Srem region using the factor method (principal component analysis). The article aims to explain the basic characteristics of functional types of settlements and to determine the mechanisms of their territorial distribution, which would be helpful in the future planning and organization of local and regional development of the Republic of Serbia.